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Hockey Ramblings Competition

Hi everyone, I'm in a bit of a jam. Amato is on vacation, and I'm about to take off for a mini-vacation myself. Laidlaw got called to put out fires and neither Roos nor Kennedy are available for the ramblings on Thursday. So I thought I would open it up!

Post your ramblings here!

Gates, Eric and I will choose which one is the best. The winner will have their ramblings used for the main site - as well as take home $35. Yep, I'm buying you a case of beer for your help!

Not only does the winner get to help the site, and help fellow poolies, and get some recognition, and make some cash - but you would also get on my radar and maybe I'll come calling again. Or perhaps this launches into a weekly writing gig.

The Rules:
1 Must be posted here
2. 1000 to 1800 words
3. * between each blurb, just as we do
4. short intro/summary in italics, just as we do
5. Deadline is Wednesday at 2pm - so we can read them all and pick out a winner to post at midnight (ish)

If you have an issue with posting it here, send a PM to GM Gates and ericdaoust and they will arrange an email submission

Re: Hockey Ramblings Competition

It's not just finding news pieces. It's way more important to take a small piece of news and offer your own take - not just on the news itself but on a greater scope. Many stories have league-wide implications one way or another. I'll make up an example:

Red Wings sign Danny Dekeyser 3 yrs, cap hit = $3 million

The news itself does not offer much but there are a few ways to go with this:
1) How does Dekeyser's fast transition to the NHL affect other Wings' young dmen long-term? (Kindl, Smith, Sproul, Backman, Ouellet...)
2) Does this signing have any impact on future RFAs having their ELC expire after one full NHL season of experience? Who could be at risk next summer (relevant for cap leagues especially)

Now I'll use a sample from my May 16 ramblings which was during the playoffs which included incidents where players acted like jackasses and fans would get very emotional with their hatred towards those players:

This playoff has had its share of controversial moments that earned some players a lot of backlash. Looking at comments made on the forum and on social media it is clear that many hockey fans are emotional and absolutely hate some players.

The reason I bring this up is because in some cases a player's reputation among fans can affect his trade value in fantasy leagues. A player that is globally hated may not be valued by his owner which could make him easy to acquire. Production is what wins in fantasy so if you are able to separate the art from the artist you could take advantage of some buy-low opportunities to make your squad better.

In the UHL league that I will mention in more detail later, I own Matt Cooke. In a deep multi-category league, he scores quite well. With competition stiff at the top, I have no problem putting my feelings aside to own one of the most disliked players in the league.

It is never a bad time to make a pitch for a guy like Brad Marchand in your league, especially if his owner dislikes the Bruins. Like him or not, he produces.

Basically I used some current events to transition into something that I wanted to bring up. For those worried about getting to 1000 words, this alone was an easy 200 words. This is the stuff that I like personally when I read ramblings. Go above and beyond. Put your thoughts and philosophies out there. Spin things and take them wherever you want (keep it PG though).

Re: Hockey Ramblings Competition

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This is my first time writing for Dobberhockey, and I have only been part of the forum / website for the past year, but have been impressed by the amount and accuracy of information concerning our favorite sport and the players we love (and hate). I will do my best to make today’s Ramblings equally accurate and poignant to Dobber’s readers.
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I will start with the standard plug for the DobberHockey 2014 Fantasy Hockey Guide (available now). This is the first time I have invested some of my hard earned cash, and I have not been let down. I flipped through the whole thing once, focussing on players I am targeting and own in my league. Since then, I have been thoroughly pouring over each page and suddenly find myself half way through it (just finished the Edmonton Oilers section). Without giving away everything I have read, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Nathan MacKinnon should be considered “equal in keeper-league value to Steven Stamkos.” Say what?? Hey, I own both of them now and couldn’t be happier, but that is a huge statement to make. Good on you guys for having the cojones to make this prediction a year or two before, I think, it will be true.
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Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop is taking shots in practice for the first time since undergoing wrist surgery in April. It certainly looks like the number one guy in Tampa Bay will be ready for the opening of the Lightning’s camp and the regular season. If he isn’t, then I suspect a) off season acquisition Evgeny Nabokov gets the nod to start come opening day b) Olympic hero, Kristers Gudlevskis, will be the back-up, and c) the Lightning will struggle without Big Ben. It may not be as horrific as the playoff series against the Canadiens last year, but Bishop is key to the Lightning getting off to a fast start. Neither Nabokov nor Gudlevskis will be fantasy relevant this year unless Bishop goes down again.
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Speaking of goaltenders, it seems like the Florida Panthers are already wondering (again) about life without Roberto Luongo. No trade rumours to report, but Luongo, at 35 years old, is no spring chicken. Despite signing Al Montoya and Dan Ellis to back Bobby Lu up this year, it hardly means they are set for the future. Raw prospects Sam Brittain and Michael Houser lead the pack as to who could eventually take over. One of them may even get some time in Florida’s crease this year if anything happens to one of the top three guys. As for predicting the future, my money is on Houser, a former OHL Goaltender of the Year and Red Tilson Trophy winner as the league's most outstanding player Player of the Year. He has all of 28 regular season games under his belt in the AHL (17-10-2 regular season record), but is entering the final year of his ELC so I expect him to excel this year to show the Panthers brass what he has. He may not be fantasy relevant for another couple of years, but if you have a farm team in your league, Houser may be a guy you want on it. Given that the Panthers are still a couple years away from being competitive, Houser has a great chance of making the team when they peak. We’ll call this my long shot section of the Ramblings.
***NHL.com’s “30 in 30” tackles the Nashville Predators today. While the big news in Nashville this off season was the acquisition of James Neal, Mike Ribiero and Olli Jokinen, the defense continues to garner its fair share of question marks heading into next season. One of the biggest questions on the blueline involves Ryan Ellis. It seems like Ellis has been in the NHL forever, but he hasn’t become the offensive dynamo the Preds expected him to be when they drafted him 11th overall in the 2009 draft. Instead, he has accumulated a mere 17 points in 64 games with the Preds over the last two seasons. I expect things will turn around for the youngster this year under the tutelage of assistant coach, Phil Housley and should at least hit 25 points this year. If he doesn’t, I won’t be terribly surprised to see the Predators move him for some more help up front. The team just has too many assets back there to let Ellis stew.
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Even though Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo is being non-committal about who his starting goaltender will be this season, I find it hard to believe that Darcy Kuemper won’t be the #1 guy in Minny by the end of the year. Call it a feeling, but with Backstrom’s BAB status and Harding’s health issues + expiring contract at the end of this season, who else is going to take the reins for the Wild.
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Not sure if this gets anyone rethinking who they are going to draft for their keeper league, but Paul Bissonnette is apparently being courted by three NHL hockey clubs who are interested in his services. The Penguins, Capitals & Wild have all shown interest in the 29 year-old forward who last played for the Coyotes. Not known for scoring lots of points, his career totals are 7-15-22, Biznasty could certainly bring some sandpaper and hits to any team who finds space for him on their third or fourth line. He won’t contribute anything to a points-only league, but will help if you count hits and PIM so keep an eye on his situation.
***Damien Brunner, coming off his second season in the NHL, and his first full 82 game season, looks to rebound from his disappointing year where he scored 25 points in 60 games. The 28 year old had this to say at the end of the season last year: “I was still having a hard time sometimes (during the season), it was a tight schedule because of the Olympic break. I tell you, it’s tough.” I expect the winger to get plenty of playing time, and now that the Devils have Havlat and Cammalleri, some of the pressure of being the go-to guy will be off Brunner’s back. Realistically, a 50 point season isn’t too far fetched.
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So you think Danny Boyle is past his prime. While the 38 year old may be closer to the end of his career than the start, consider this: his 36 points last year would have had him second on the list of Rangers defenseman scoring behind Ryan McDonaugh who had 43 points. Given that Boyle will fill in for the departed Brad Richards on the Ranger’s power play, I expect him to easily score 36 points again, and hover closer to 45 points when the season comes to a close.
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I know Teemu Selanne is retired from the NHL, and is no longer on anyone’s fantasy radar on this side of the pond. That being said, when news broke a couple days ago that the ageless wonder had received an offer to play hockey for Jokerit of the KHL, heads snapped to attention. Selanne is one of the all time greats, and heads should turn if the man so much as farts, so this was pretty big. However, it seems Selanne is more interested in opening a hockey academy to teach young players how to shoot. Selanne stated that he was very interested in creating a school specific to shooters / shooting to make up for all the goaltending schools there are. As for playing in Jokerit, he said,” Right now I'm not ready to play, but they have said I don't need to decide it right away; I can think about it as long as I want, if I still find motivation to play," I say we haven’t seen the end of the Finnish Flash yet.
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While on the subject of the elderly, I really enjoyed Tom Collins’ piece about the most fantasy relevant players in the NHL who are 35 years old or older. It inspired me to think about the all time greatest season put together by an aging veteran. My choice was Ray Bourque who in 1995-96 scored 82 points for the Boston Bruins at the age of 35. Somehow, he didn’t win the Norris that year. Huh???
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Since we are talking Bourque, let's talk also about the Bruins. Once they've signed Torey Krug and Reilly Smith, the cash strapped Bruins have some holes to fill and may have to consider bringing in some of the young prospects they have on the farm looking to earn a spot, even if they aren’t ready. Matt Fraser, Ryan Spooner, Alex Khokhlachev, and 2014 first round pick David Pastrnak all have decent chances of making the grade, but in an interesting twist, some sources have the Bruins considering going after free agent Kevin Hayes who, according to Bleacher Report columnist Al Daniel, would be a perfect fit for the B’s given his natural right wing position; a position the Bruins are weak in. Hayes could end up being this year’s Justin Shultz.
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Lastly, I want to add a shout out to all the NHL players who are filming their brave efforts facing the Ice Bucket Challenge. I think Facebook had something to do with the challenge and it has picked up tons of steam. NHL talent pour ice cold water over there heads in an attempt to bring awareness to those suffereing from ALS. If you weren’t sure, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, kills one to two Canadians every day. You can see many of your favorite NHLers douse themselves with ice cold water on youtube, but Mike Smith’s was my favorite by far. Here is the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3sSf1CroxM

I'm a firm believer that fantasy hockey has changed the landscape on how people cheer for their favorite team, or just any team in general. I've been watching and thinking about this for some time and as Fantasy hockey or fantasy sports in general has grown I've seen what amounts to almost a paradigm shift in the way people view and watch hockey.

I started my first hockey pool over 25 years ago when i was teenager, so you can do the math, I'm not a young buck but not over the hill either. I would argue that I'm actually in the prime of my Fantasy Sports years, and you know what, I love every minute of it and can't wait for the day my son joins me in one of my many hockey pools.

I grew up in Toronto, the apparent hockey nation and of course I'm a Leafs fan and yes I've struggled all my life without a Stanley Cup but I am still true to the Blue and White because I am a homer, but why wouldn't I cheer for the City I was born in, and grew up in. Saturday nights was watching the Leafs on HNIC as there was no Multi all sports channels like today so who else was I going to watch. Back then hockey pools or fantasy pools were straight forward, none of these Multi category stats, or unique formats.

That all being said, back to my story as I just wanted to provide some context to where I am going with my thoughts. Since those days of adding up hockey pool stats once a week from a local newspaper that published the stats to today where there are many fantasy pool websites competing for our business, it shows times have changed and so has how people view hockey and cheer for hockey.

In your in fantasy hockey pool there are various draft types including pick from the box pools and then you have your keeper leagues, dynasty leagues, etc. Many people draft players you really like; you draft players from your favorite team, and then you draft players based on whatever analytical system you may have or use from the magazines or websites that do the work for you. From this I see people shift their allegiances towards how the draft because they are big fan of say Jonathan Toews and of course he s a great fantasy player whether it be straight points or if your league uses multiple categories. He's a stud on many levels, and I'm just using him as an example. However based on your love or fascination on Toews, I see people now cheer for the Blackhawks more than they ever did when they were the laughing stock of the league.

Think about it, how many people choose Gretzky or Lemieux or Orr as their favorite player growing up? I bet there are a lot, and again these are just examples but my point is you fell in love with a player and then in no time you became a fan of that team and then you consistently draft that player or other players from that team. Now, what about your favorite team as a kid, do you still call them your favorite team or just one of them or have you changed your tone and now a fan of your favorite players and players that you consistent draft for fantasy hockey pool? I know I am guilty of this. For example I have Seguin and Benn in one keeper league so I was watching a lot of Stars games last year and plan to do do this year.

My point is fantasy sports and it's not just hockey of course, but if can protect your favorite player for several years you will watch him day in and day out, check their stats daily while you cheer for him and his team because he will score you points that will help your fantasy team. You then learn more about that team and the other players and eventually there is a turning of the tide when it comes to who you like.

Finally this theory can change periodically over decades if your favorite player or favorite fantasy player(s) happens to change teams or if a new player comes along that you just have to watch and happen to draft. How many people are now watching Nathan Mackinnon and the Avs because he is great young player and has already made a big impact with your fantasy team.

Re: Hockey Ramblings Competition

Hey guys- I’m throwing my hat in the ring for Dobber's Hockey Ramblings challenge. I know this challenge developed out of some conflicting schedule issues with the writing staff- but I actually think it’s a great way to keep things fresh and interesting during an otherwise dull period for fantasy hockey enthusiasts. Necessity truly is the mother of invention! I’ll comment on a few recent news bites and share some of my juicier opinions on players going into next season.

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I have noticed a few other entrants shamelessly plug Dobber’s Annual Fantasy Hockey Guide and I wish I could tell you I was gonna buck the trend... but I can’t! It’s just that damn good. As a regular reader this has become a bible of sorts- and I even find myself reading old guides in my spare time- mind you it might be that I'm just weird like that. You won’t find this in the testimonials- but I personally GUARANTEE that if you buy this guide you’ll win 1st place in any and all leagues you play in this year!!

*Warning- author’s guarantee is subject to change at indiscriminate notice, carries no validity, and is in no way legally binding.

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On to some ramblings!

In some of the stranger news of the week it appears Charles Wang is being sued over an apparent sale of the Islanders followed by a hasty and subsequent “backing out” of said sale. It is a little disconcerting to hear this was based largely on what he is calling a “handshake” agreement- but it is clear that things on the Island are looking a bit rocky. For the record this is not the first time the team has been tossed around in illegitimate deals. This is a great documentary directed by Kevin Connolly (better known as “E” from Entourage), on how Jack Spano’s group tried to buy the Islanders without actually paying for them. The craziest part is that it almost worked.

This is all really unfortunate timing for Islander fans who are looking at a team finally poised to make some serious noise going into the season. One of the bigger storylines in my opinion is the potential of a second line powered by Grabovski and Kulemin- henceforth known as the Grabolemin line. The emergence of advanced stats has put some pretty interesting perspectives out there, in terms of how effective certain players actually are, and in this case they are clearly in Gabolemin’s favor. From Dobberhockey’s own Thomas Drance- in a piece published at The Score: When both Grabovski and Kulemin were on the ice between 2009 and 2013, Toronto also managed to control 51.3 percent of even-strength shot attempts. That's a solid number, but it's made even more impressive when one considers that Grabovski and Kulemin accomplished this while playing on a club that was generally glued in their own end of the rink. In the article Capuano goes on to state that he’s not entirely sure that line would remain intact, but the numbers certainly bode well that we’ll see our favorite Leaf underdogs re-united.

A concern of many is the effect this may have on Frans Nielsen who has been an underrated gem for many poolies. Generally, I find that players with a proven scoring record find a way to get their opportunities regardless, but he’s a guy that worries me simply due to his elite level two-way play. I wouldn’t quite go pushing the panic button yet- but if he starts out the season mired in a third line defensive specialist role I’d be shopping him based on name recognition. No way he flirts with 60 again from that spot.

While Nielsen’s numbers might slip this year it’s entirely possible the team as a whole becomes exponentially harder to play against- which makes Jarolsav Halak a real sleeper pick in my opinion. He has shown brilliance in short flashes, but never truly been given a long enough leash to lockdown a starters role. With 4 years at 4.5 million per, he now has that chance. A healthy JT should help stacking up those W’s too.

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A lot of buzz around NHL.com about the Wild for their 30 in 30 series- which is great fodder for poolies, as Minnesota stands to be one of the more interesting/exciting teams going into next season. A lot of the big impact stuff has already been covered in terms of their once again monstrous free agency period- but there were a few tidbits in there that caught my attention.

The biggest one for me is Ryan Suters ice time, or more accurately, if he can sustain such ungodly totals without fatiguing or burning out. Cliff Fletcher says you have nothing to worry about: "He's not a physical player and he's not necessarily a player who's leading the rush offensively. He defends really well, he moves the puck really well. He's such an intelligent, intuitive player. He knows where to go and doesn't waste a lot of energy flailing around the ice."

In the same article he expresses his excitement about Granlund, Coyle, and Haula. I am a very big Granny fan (the Minny prospect and my Grammy Grams) - but it will be interesting to see where he slots in next year. It seems to me he has a relatively safe spot in the top six- with an above average supporting cast to boot- but I worry about his injury history. Many people- myself included- have him penciled in for a big step forward this year and any notable loss of games played can have a disastrous affect on his perceived value to the team. We have seen this time and again from young players trying to gain a foothold in the league. I’m not saying I'd be shipping him out by any means- quite the opposite actually- but if I owned him I'd be knocking on some extra wood. It’s a critical year.

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Big shout out to petegreg21 doing his part to help out the forum when he dug up this article. A lot of big questions around Big Buff- or as I like to call him ”The Drunk Boater’s Society”- in regards to his role with the team next year. Some compelling data, but the gist of it is that he is more effective offensively as a forward- scoring at a 0.46 higher point per 60 minute clip- than he was as a rearguard. Interestingly these numbers balance out by the time you factor in the decrease in ice time he’d see with the switch and you’re left with about the same production. This speaks against both the argument that he might regress to his 35ish point days as a forward on the Blackhawks AND the argument that he’s likely to see a magical jump in production with the move. In all likelihood- its business as usual for Heavy B.

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In the ramblings a few weeks back there was talk of Marchand saying he “hated” Tomas Plekanec. Looks like the folks over at Fox Sports have upped the Alert Level to Sean Avery Red- with their hilarious blow-by-blow analysis of who is the more annoying of the two players. I mean, its gotta be Marchand- but some of those Plekanec head throws! Wow... If I had my Snidely Whiplash hat on I might post some of those videos on my league message board in an effort to drive Plekanec’s asking price down!

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Looking for a few more chuckles? Can you imagine how jacked up you’d be as a rookie stepping onto an NHL ice surface for the first time? Only to have THIS happen.

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If you haven’t seen them yet I recommend taking a gander at the Ice Bucket Challenge clips- they’re pretty funny and help raise awareness for a great cause in ALS awareness. There have been some great submissions so far, but Paul “BizNasty” Bissonnette just upped the ante with this unrivaled display of epicness. Mic drop.

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The wings appear close to signing Danny DeKeyser. Over a full season he would have scored 30 points with 105ish shots on goal, which is pretty mediocre unless you’re in a deeper league. At 24 there is room for upside, but I wouldn’t get too excited as he’s never been billed as much of a scorer even dating back to his days in the CCHA. The Wings decision to invest in DeKeyser however, may bite into Brendan Smith’s offensive opportunities and that is worrisome considering his development is already falling short of what team brass may have expected. Once highly touted in the fantasy community- he’s another guy to keep an eye on this year. In a perfect world, the two could exist harmoniously as long as Smith can step up the offense in his game. A poor season on the other hand, could have him dropping off fantasy radars altogether especially with more competition emerging in Detroit.

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With that winged wheel tidbit as a segue- I'll close by referencing an article I dropped in the forums over the weekend that was pretty well received. If I asked you what you projected Henrik Zetterberg to score next year- what would you say? Maybe 60ish- if he can stay healthy? 45-50 with some serious injury time? I attempt to de-bunk the Zetterberg myth here- and prove why anything less than 75 points has to be considered a shock.

Re: Hockey Ramblings Competition

Schmaftin the Draft for McDavid's running mates, The Decision: Hayes Edition, The KHL Firing Shots, Calder prognostications and more

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Decided to try my hand at the ramblings challenge. A part of my everyday fantasy docket, it's pretty awesome to see Dobber give forum members a shot at subbing in. So here's the IceWookie spin on ramblings. Because who wouldn't love to see Chewbacca skate around PK Subban and snipe one past Price?

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I want to start off with a different sort of shout out, going out the forums. The Dobber Forums are among the best on the internet, and the unequivocal king of fantasy forums. You won't find a better place to find out if you're getting screwed on a trade or just grab some friendly advice on the strategy you're employing. Go check it out, you won't be dissapointed. There are some incredible smart posters that probably deserve their own blogs.

Rasmus Andersson recently committed to join the Barrie Colts this past Monday. Who and why should you care? Andersson, a 6 foot, 215 pound right handed shooting dmen who played for Malmo in Allsvenskan in Europe last season, is eligible for the 2015 draft as one of the more talented defenders in the draft. Hyped up along with American stud Noah Hanifin and super Swede Oliver Kylington, he took a step back last season. But moving over to the Colts gives him new opportunity to shine with the more than likely departure of their current Captain and stud Ekblad. Prepare to hear his name more.

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In other 2015 draft news Pavel Zacha committed to the Sarnia Sting last week, which came as a bit of a surpise after super tool...I mean agent...ripped into the Sarnia Sting for selecting him first overall in the CHL import draft. Woops.
While most of the attention for poolies will be focused on the McEichel race, Zacha is a player to watch out for. A big rangy center, he impressed at the past World Junior tourney as a 16 year old, and is expected to be in the running for a top 10 pick. Increased exposure can only be a good thing for the center, especially when he faces off against McDavid and the Otters. Sarnia's been pretty good at developing first round talent lately with Goldobin, Yakupov, Galchenyuk and Anthony DeAngelo all being selected in recent drafts so keep an eye out for him if your team falters early.

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Torey Krug has apparently received a major offer from a KHL team, as he attempts to hammer out a deal with the Boston Bruins. As an owner of Krug, I was briegly worried but upon further thought the chances of Krug accepting the offer are somewhere between 0 and 5 percent. Krug is coming off his first full season with the Bruins posting 14 goals and 40 points. While the money might be tempting, Krug was born in the States and likely dreamed of playing for an NHL while growing up. Nothing to see here folks.

However the offer does bring to attention, yet again, the continued threat of the KHL to NHL teams. With Sobotka leaving earlier in the offseason, poolies will likely be jumpy waiting for the next shoe to drop. Personally I'm unconcerned. While KHL teams can offer boatloads of money, they have little to offer with job security (ask Ray Emery about that one), they have terrible travel arrangements, and with the current unrest with Russia and every other country in the world, the KHL has as little leverage as it's ever had. Maybe the occasional second tier impact player heads over, or a failed prospect returns home, but I'd bet heavily that the issue is overstated. So throw out an offer to a skittish GM on a Russian player while pushing the Russian Factor hard. At the very least it's worth a shot.

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August 15th approaches and with it comes the NHL's quasi-annual version of The Decision. This year Kevin Hayes will attempt his best LeBron and take his services to a lucky NHL team. The rumored frontrunners are Boston, with Florida and Calgary always seeming to be linked to him. Hayes played in Boston, played with Calgary prospects Gaudreau and Bill Arnold, and has his older brother playing for Florida so all have certain arguments for the big power forward. Where should he go though? My choice would be Boston (and I recently drafted him late in a keeper league with this being my bet). It mirrors the Blake Wheeler to Boston move back in the day, and the Bruins currently have a hole on the right sight on the second line. Placing him with Krejci or Bergeron as his center could be a beauty situation for him. That said he has to beat out Matt Fraser, Alex Khokhlachev and Bruins 2014 first rounder David Pastrnak, but it could be a good fit for him.

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My early predicitions for the Calder Trophy? Not Reinhart, Drouin, or any of the usual suspects. I know, how very contrarian of me not taking the obvious choice. But I digress, my choice is Bo Horvat. He'll have less pressure as the Canucks won't have high expectations for the season, and once everyone sees Nick Bonino without a Getzlafian Mountain in front of him and sees his luck regress drastically, Horvat is going to thrive. He's apparently a little more lean too, down from the 210 he was last season. Dark horse picks? Kevin Fiala. I like what the Predators are doing in Nashville going for a totally retrofitted offense. Fiala is a little demon from hell in offensive zone and just makes things happen in every league and tourney he plays in. Everyone is going to Nashville looking at Neal and Ribeiro but Fiala is going to be the one everyone leaves impressed with. He's a guy to stash if you're in a keeper league. Nashville is no longer Trotz territory. The era of their offense being fantasy irrelevant is now ending...don't miss the boat.

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Thanks for reading DobberNation! As a sign off, go take part in the ALS ice water challenge. ALS is a terrible disease and this campaign is a great way to rais awareness. Who knows, maybe your challenge can be as epic as BizNasty's or as clever as Grabovski and Kulemin calling out Nonis and Carlyle.

Re: Hockey Ramblings Competition

Potential fantasy impact on Alfredsson signing, Prospect watch in the Hlinka Tournament, 30 sleeper and breakout players you need to consider.
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It’s the dog days of summer all right, not only is there little to no fantasy hockey news to talk about, the regular writers of the daily ramblings are all MIA leaving the door wide open for me to make my return to Dobber. I understand how difficult it can be to get you fantasy hockey fix this time of year and how important the Dobber daily ramblings are so let’s get to it.
*One more year for Alfredsson? Daniel Alfredsson has made it clear that if he comes back it will be for Detroit only. It is no surprise that the Wings want him back, he had a successful season and provides some excellent leadership for a team rich with young prospects. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the Wings don’t expect he would play a full 82 game schedule if he does come back. I did find it curious that GM Ken Holland would make that comment publically however. With Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Jurco, and Justin Abdelkader currently slotted in the top three RW positions, and Alfredsson return would knock them all down a peg at least in a rotation type scenario. Obviously if you still are holding onto Alfie in your keeper league you are crossing your fingers he signs. If you own Nyquist or Jurco you are praying he does not as his return would reduce ice time for the younger players. Top Prospect Anthony Mantha will push to make the NHL right out of junior, as unlikely as his chances are they all but disappear if Alfredsson signs. Outside of the right wingers, Alfie should help the rest of the roster and the team overall as he can still play and would help the power play. The Puck Daddy Greg Wyshynski has his take here.
*Prospect Scouting the Ivan Hlinka Tournament. The NHL may be on hiatus but fantasy hockey is every day. The summer consists of draft preparation and prospect scouting. The Ivan Hlinka Tournament every August provides a glimpse at up and coming fantasy hockey prospects.

It may be difficult to watch the games on TV or find a streaming broadcast and even harder to get to Slovakia and Czech to watch live. It is still possible to pay attention to the tournament and important to know who is performing in what is traditionally a best on best tournament. There are two glaring omissions in this year’s tournament namely Connor McDavid and Pavel Zacha. Tournament rosters and stats can be found on their website here. It is still early in the tournament but the top five scorers all belong to the USA and the Czechs. Lukas Jasek is scoring at a torrid pace with six points in his first two games. Americans Denis Yan and Brock Boeser have five and four points each followed by two more Czechs in Jakub Zboril and Filip Chlapik each with four points. One player I have the opportunity to watch often is Canada’s Lawson Crouse who plays for the Kingston Frontenacs. Crouse is a big up and coming power forward that is more than willing to drop the gloves. His skating is better than average for a young man his size and if he can continue to develop his skill set and score consistently he will be a highly coveted asset. For a great list of who to watch at the Ivan Hlinka check out Ryan Kennedy’s article at THN here
*30 sleeper picks and breakout potential players. While you prepare for your fantasy draft coming this fall, here is a list of 30 players who should provide value in later rounds of your draft. Some leagues are small consisting of 6-12 members with less than 20 man rosters while many now consist of 20 or more owners with full 20 man rosters and draft very deep in the NHL talent pool. These deeper leagues are always looking for hidden value options, and here are my picks.

Rickard Rakell, Anaheim C. The departure of Saku Koivu opens the door for Rakell to fill the third line centre position.

Lucas Lessio, Arizona LW. Lessio already has a year of AHL seasoning under his belt scoring 54 points in 69 games. His long term upside may not be as high as Domi, but he is older, bigger and more ready for the NHL

David Warsofsky, Boston D. The Bruins need to move some cap and have a surplus of defense. Once a deal is done there may be a role for Warsofsky who has nothing left to prove in the AHL

Tyler Myers, Buffalo D. Myers made improvements last season but can still be better than last season’s 22 points

Curtis Glencross, Calgary LW. Fantasy owners will overlook the Flames at the draft in general and Glencross was only healthy for 38 games. Injuries are a concern but he is worth the risk as the team’s top LW

Anton Khudobin, Carolina G. The Canes are a bad team and may not win much but Khudobin is the starting goalie now. Wad was injured much of last season and played poorly losing the crease to Khudobin.

Jeremy Morin, Chicago RW. Now 23, he is NHL ready and scored 22 points in 24 games and is poised to usurp Versteeg on the third line.

Nick Holden, Colorado D. Perhaps the best kept secret in fantasy hockey. Holden scored 25 points in just 54 games. With Benoit gone Holden’s role will be increased.

Brian Gibbons, Columbus RW. Gibbons is fast, gritty and has a scoring touch. He had an impressive playoff on Pittsburgh’s fourth line scoring three points in eight games

Colton Sceviour, Dallas RW. Sceviour saw time in the top six in the playoffs and didn’t look out of place scoring three points in six games. He has a shot to play on either Spezza or Seguin’s line.

Stephen Weiss, Detroit C. I am either totally right, or completely wrong. It looks like Weiss is done, but his contract alone will give him an opportunity to bounce back.

Mark Arcobello, Edmonton C. I do not believe Draisitl starts in the NHL this season and Gordon is a third line centre. That leaves Lander and Arcobello to compete for the second line position. Flip a coin.

Brandon Pirri, Florida RW. The Panthers are deep at centre and Tallon has stated hat Pirri will move to the wing. This move should ensure he plays in the top six.

Tanner Pearson, Los Angeles LW. Pearson already broke out in the post season scoring 12 points in 24 games on that 70’s line with Toffoli and Carter. But his regular season numbers were less spectacular so there is a chance he slips on some draft lists.

Christian Folin, Minnesota D. Folin is a NCAA free agent signing late last season. He is 6’3” and has a great shot. He should jump right into the NHL.

Jiri Sekac, Montreal RW. Free agents signed out of Europe are a gamble. Sekac could be a Roman Cervenka or a Carl Soderberg. The former is more likely, but worth a late pick gamble

Calle Jarnkrok, Nashville C. Jarnkrok scored nine points in his short 12 game audition last season. With Fisher injured to start the season, Jarnkrok will be given an opportunity.

Eric Gelinas, New Jersey D. In his rookie season, Gelinas scored 29 points in only 60 games. A power play specialist with great size.

T.J. Brennan, New York Islanders D. Brennan is a classic boom or bust pick. Like M.A. Bergeron a few years back, Brennan will either make it and rack up points on the PP or not play at all. He is on a one way contract.

J.T. Miller, New York Rangers C. Former first round pick should get the opportunity to play on the third line if not the fourth.

Mike Hoffman, Ottawa C. The loss of Spezza and Hemsky opens up an opportunity for the offensive Hoffman who scored 67 points in 51 AHL games.

Jason Akeson, Philadelphia RW. Akeson is an offensive player who enjoyed chemistry with Giroux in the AHL. Someone needs to replace Hartnell on the top line and it could be Akeson.

Patrick Hornqvist, Pittsburgh RW. This one may seem obvious but don’t under estimate how much better Hornqvist may be moving from Nashville to Malkin’s wing.

Dmitrij Jaskin, St. Louis RW. The Blues are deep in every position but the RW offers the biggest opportunity and Jaskin could land a full time job.

Matt Nieto, San Jose RW. The impressive rookie scored 24 points in 66 games, then scored five in seven playoff games. He has a top six role on the offensive Sharks

Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay D. Stralman should see an increased role in Tampa and see more PP time than he received in New York.

Peter Holland, Toronto C. Holland is on a one way contract and would not clear waivers so Toronto will use him. He is able to generate his own offense and will be given every opportunity.

Nick Bonino, Vancouver C. Bonino will step into Kesler’s second line centre position. Bonino actually outscored Kesler last season and is four years younger.

Tom Wilson, Washington RW. Wilson played a full 82 game season as a rookie scoring 10 points and racking up 151 PIMs. In roto leagues and multi category format leagues he has a lot of value.

J.C. Lipon, Winnipeg RW. The 2013 draft is already 21 years old and scored 41 points and 136 points in his pro debut in the AHL. He continues to progress as a late bloomer and could break into the NHL soon as a gritty bottom six providing good greasy stats.

Re: Hockey Ramblings Competition

Should I be updating my entry into the competition? My adoration for Mike Smith's Ice Bucket Challenge is being eclipsed by Paul Bissonette's successful attempt at braving the waters. Crazy, man!

Now you know the dilemma those of us who do the Ramblings face - right when you've baked in your content, suddenly there's a late breaking news item or something else. And although I'm not one of the judges I think I can speak for them in saying that great Ramblings can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. And I for one will say I've been impressed with what I've seen so far. You might end up convincing the big guy to make this a monthly feature. And hopefully one of you upstarts won't turn some of us writers into Wally Pipps in the process......lol